World-famous Corcovado National
Park is a beautiful hour’s drive away.After the drive, it is a 45-minute beach walk to the park entrance.This is a big day, so please gauge your
endurance.People
who are not in shape, or children not up to a lot of hiking, should skip
it.We recommend leaving as early as
possible, for cooler beach hiking and better wildlife viewing.Be sure to wear good footwear and plenty of
sunscreen.You need to bring drinking
water and lunch.

You can:

Go on
your own:

·If
you have a vehicle you can drive to Carate, which is
at the edge of the park, and hike in.If you don’t have a vehicle,you
can hire a taxi to Carate for the day;

·You
can take the collectivo (public transport – truck
with bench seats), which passes by the Matapalo
entrance each morning at around 6:45 AM and leaves you back at Matapalo between 4-5 PM.

·PLEASE
NOTE: If you go on your own you will need to arrange for your park permits in
advance.Contact us if you need
information.

Go
with William as guide:

William,
our manager, has his own tour guide business and is happy to accompany you to
the park and serve as your guide for the day.He has been visiting Corcovado since he
was a small boy and knows it intimately.He is such an expert that researchers from the University of Costa Rica
have consulted with him on several occasions.He also has an eagle eye and spots animals that you would never see
otherwise.We highly recommend this
option, which includes park reservations and permits.

Costs:

Guide
fee: $100/day per group

Park
permits:If you book in advance, William
can usually procure permits for $15/per adult; $5/per child under 12.Sometimes he can’t, in which case it is
$15/person. (If you arrange in advance and cancel, you may need to reimburse
William for this expense, as it is not refundable or transferable).

Transportation:

If
you don’t have a rental car, there are the following options:

$100
for William to drive in his vehicle

$130
for taxi (subject to change)

$8/person/one
way on collectivo

William
will accompany you whichever way you choose.

My daughters and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to
Corcovado with William and despite the language barrier he was able to teach us
quite a bit. His knowledge of the bush is remarkable.

Brian – Ontario, Canada

This
time we got to Corcovado.What an
adventure.And, believe it or not,
thanks to William’s eagle eyes, we saw a tapir and even got a few pictures.Also saw other animals with his
guidance.A hike with him is an absolute
must-do when here; he’s the best guide around, not to mention he’s a love of a
guy!

Terri
and Jeffrey – Tucson, AZ

Arrange with us in advance.

Canopy Tour and Zip Line

Zip through the rainforest canopy!We have found the best and best-priced zip
line/canopy tour around.You will careen
through old growth forest with an experienced, English-speaking guide, who is
both informative and skilled.This
company is extremely attentive to equipment and safety and gets consistently
rave reviews from our guests.

$40/person (credit cards accepted)

4 hours, including travel time

Arrange with us in advance.

Rainforest Hike

You don’t have to
go as far as Corcovado to see amazing wildlife.Primary forest is all around the house and every foray reveals natural wonders.Just strolling down the road toward Matapalo
Beach is a rich experience.You are
likely to see monkeys, all kinds of tropical birds, maybe a sloth, anteater or
iguana.You just never know!There are various ways to do this, any or all
of them rewarding.We supply you with an
area map, so you can find your way around.Other options include:

Hike with William:

William can guide you through towering stands of
primary forest to pristine waterfalls. With him you will visit places and see
things you would never see on your own.William offers a night hike, which is limited to people over 12-years
old.He does not speak English, but is
very knowledgeable about the area and an expert at spotting wildlife. In
addition, he is an absolute pleasure to be with.Be sure to wear good footwear (no flip
flops!)

Area hikes:$30 - $40 per group, depending on hike, or
more with large groups.There are hikes
with one waterfall, and a longer one with two, as well as a night hike.

Arrange with us in advance.

William is a real
gem. He took us on a hike to the waterfall and on another hike
to show us all of the "mucho animales".....it
was great fun to speak in Spanish to him and to try and teach him a few
words in English. He is a great asset and his wife too.

Fran and Peter – Quebec, Canada

A walk with William to the waterfall
was great.I swear the man has radar
eyes.We would have missed a lot of
animals he pointed out to us.

Lambert & Carol – Denver, CO

Hike with English Speaking guides:

There are
knowledgeable, English-speaking guides available, who can take you on
fascinating, entertaining and informative tours of the area.The hike, either with a
trained biologist or certified naturalist, gradually ascends through a
secondary forest rich with heliconias and
hummingbirds. Continuing onward, you trek through riparian habitat underneath a
gallery of giant tropical trees.Among
myriad of waterfalls you learn about the interactions of the animals and plants,
tying together indigenous knowledge to current medical applications. You will
leave with a greater understanding of our tropical forests and their importance
to our future. It is never the same hike twice... bring your camera and
questions!About 3 – 4 hours.Wear hiking boots or sneakers.

$45/person

Arrange with us in advance.

Waterfall Rappelling or Cliff Canyoning

Hike up and around a series of waterfalls nestled
in lush rainforest (with nature education along the way). At the top of the
falls you receive thorough instruction covering the equipment, its proper use
and safe rappelling.

The first waterfall is 45 feet and the second, King
Louis, is 100 feet. You will descend them, backwards, often
through rushing water.During the drier
months might be just a trickle or completely dry, but the wilderness
amphitheater is no less dramatic and the rappelling just as exciting.We can say first hand that this is a true
adrenaline rush!

1/2 day. Snacks provided.

$85/person

We decided to
rappel the 110-foot waterfall in the jungle.What a rush!

Jack & Lisa – Prescott, AZ

Arrange with us in advance.

Tree Climbing

Scale the
Cathedral, a 200-foot tall fichus, aka the largest
jungle gym around!Using top-of-the-line
climbing gear, this tour takes you up this massive, user-friendly Strangler Fig
(about 70 feet) for a unique perspective from a viewing roost 450 feet over the
GolfoDulce.Then it’s a thrilling swing back down by
rope, for an adrenaline rush!2 – 3 hours,
including informative rainforest hike with English-speaking guide.

$55/person

Bring camera/binoculars

Arrange with us in advance.

Combo Tour:

Tree Climb + Waterfall Rappelling +
Hike

Go for the gusto and do all
three in the same day.

5 – 6 hours.

$120/person

Arrange with us in advance.

Horseback riding

Ride on horseback
through the rainforest, over area meadows and on the beaches.This is a great way to see the surrounding
area.Depending on skill, this may
include mountain riding with a waterfall.

$55/person

Arrange with us in advance.

Massage

There is a
selection of massage available, from the rejuvenating Thai massage to
traditional Swedish.Any of them is an
ideal way to unwind from your travels and pamper yourself. To arrange in
advance, email Cecily at ccmamabee@yahoo.com.

Yoga

There are skilled yoga teachers and classes for all
levels on beautiful yoga decks surrounded by rainforest.For advance information on
class times and locations, googleMatapalo Yogis.

You can also reserve a private individual or group
class to begin or refine your practice, with therapeutic adjustments and
personal assistance from our favorite teacher, Cecily.Contact her at ccmamabee@yahoo.com.

Bird Watching

If you’re on the Osa, you’ll be bird watching,
whether you like it or not!As one of
our guests said, “For a birder, this is paradise!”You don’t even need to leave the house to see
an amazing number of exotic birds:hummingbirds, toucans, Amazon parrots, parakeets, scarlet macaw and
hundreds more species.With more
than 850 species within a tight geographic area Costa Rica, and the Osa in particular, offers an
unrivaled bird watching experience.